Star Wars Gamer #7Red Sky, Blue Flameby Elaine Cunningham

This short story was published in the Star Wars Gamer magazine. It takes place shortly before The New Jedi Order - Dark Journey and is a prologue to that story.

Jag Fel is the son of former Imperial TIE Fighter ace Baron Soontir Fel. They now live among the Chiss (the same race as Thrawn) with the Imperial Remnant. Jag has entered the Chiss military and is training to be a pilot at a hidden base. He must face racism from his fellow students, but he begins to show his talents. When pirates attack the hidden base and the leaders are killed, it's up to Jag and his fellow students to save the base. Will he save the day and win the respect of his peers or just be a charred spot on the ground?

Scott:

This was a nice action packed short story. That's exactly what I like. And while this story is not essential reading for literature fans, it is definitely an important supplement that should not be missed. It involves characters important to the Expanded Universe storyline and it fills in the blanks of some of the novels.

I like Jag Fel. As a representative of the next generation of Imperials, he's kind of the anti-Wedge. He's part of a kind of a Jedi Academy organization for pilots. He's determined to prove himself and live up to his father's image. In this story, he does just that. I hope to see him develop into a more prominent character in the NJO series. I enjoyed seeing more of the Chiss, that mysterious race that spawned Grand Admiral Thrawn. It was good to see more of their culture.

This short story also came with a great piece of art by Marc Sasso. It certainly helps to visualize what a clawcraft looks like.

Scott:

Nothing to really complain about here except for the usual. Unfortunately, many literature fans are going to miss out on this story because they don't get the Gamer magazine. Hopefully these stories will be compiled in a paperback or something. $7 is also a lot to pay for one short story.